Street-railway switch



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1.

. W. WHITE.

STREET RAILWAY SWITGH.

N0.396,1Z7 kw w a 5 3 R i g Qwuawtoz I N. PETERS Phnlolflhngraphar. Waxhingian. D. Q

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. WHITE.

STREET RAILWAY SWITCH.

6. Patented Jan. 15, 1889.

NITED STATES PATENT Fries,

IVILLIAM \YHITE, OF \VHITE PLAINS, NEIV YORK.

STREET-RAILWAY SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,127, dated January 15, 1889.

Application filed October 29, 1887. Serial No. 253,700. No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM \VHITE, of \Vhite Plains, in the county of \Vestchester and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Street-Railway Switches, which invention is fully set forth and illustrated in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to simplify the construction of that class of switches in which-a tilting or vibrating platform is operated by the horse or horses drawing the car to effect the proper movement of the vibrating tongue of the switch for switching the car to the desired track, and at the same time to provide for great durability and ready adjustability of and easy accessibility to the operative mechanism for repairs or other purposes.

The invention consists of the parts and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of the switch and tilting platform. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section through the same, taken at the line .1: aof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar section taken at the line y y of 1. Fig. 4c shows a plan of the switch inverted or bottom side up. Fig. 5 shows in plan an enlarged view of a portion of the tongue and its plate shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 shows a crosssection taken at the line it n of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 shows a cross-section taken at the line r 7.! of Fig. 5.

In said figures the several parts are indicated by letters, as follows:

The letter A indicates the tilting platform journaled at (t a; B, a removable plate or cover; C,thc switch-plate and rails; and D, the movable. tongue of the switch, pivoted at d, and at c articulated to a connecting-rod, E, provided with a turn-buckle, F, the opposite end of said rod being articulated at e to a rocker-yoke, G, pivoted at G, and spanning a rocker-arm,ll, in an arc of a circle, as shown at f. Said arm ll. is secured to a shaft, I, journaled at g g in transverse frames J K, which unite the two sides L M of the switchboxing or entire plant. Outside of the transverse frame J, and corresponding to the end piece, P, is an end piece, R, which closes in the mechanism covered by the removable plate B, sufficient space being left to form a compartment or chamber for said mechanism between the end piece, R, and the frame J. Secured fast to said shaft I is a double-armed lever or beam, N, each arm of which rises to close contact, as at n n, with a cross rib or web, 0, secured fast to the tilting platform A, journaled at each end, as at a a, in the frame J and end frame or cross-web, P.

The operation of all the said parts can now be easily understood, and is as follows: WVhen the Weight of the horse is brought upon the tilting platform A to either one side or the other, as the driver may determine,'the platform is depressed to one side on its pivotal points a a. This movement of the platform is transmitted to the movable tongue D and throws its point full over to one side or the other, so that the car following the horse and entering upon the switch is either deflected by the point of the tongue D to the curved track or else runs past said point and continues along on the straight track. The

tongue D receives said movements from the tilting platform A by the following instrumentalities: The cross rib or web 0, in con- .tact with the arms of the double-ended lever or yoke N, transmits to either arm of said yoke the weight of the horse on the platform A, said yoke oscillating the rock-shaft Lwhich in turn rocks the arms H and G, articulated as before described. Said arm G transmits motion through the connecting-rod E to the tongue I), the point 0 of articulation of tongue and rod being sufficiently remote from the tongues pivotal point d to afford the necessary leverage for operating the tongue.

In Figs. 6 and '7 the details of connecting the tongue D at its pivotal point and to its operating-rod E are shown.

In Fig. 6 the pivot (Z is shown countersunk at itshead in the tongue D and secured below the switch-plate G by the key it. The pivotal point of the tongue is strengthened and rendered more rigid by the collar 13, secured in the switch-plate 1, by having its bottom upset in an annular groove therein, the tongue being grooved out sufficiently to receiy e the upper portion of said collar, as clearly shown in said figure.

In Fig. 7 the connecting-rod E is secured to the tongue D by a countersunk conoidal too screw-threaded nut, c. The unthreaded part of said rod entering by a neat fit a square hole in the tongue below said nut, is thereby brought to a solid bearing in said ton g'ue when the nut is screwed in place, which thus draws the collar C on said rod hard up against the tongue. This latter methodis preferable to the pin attachment shown at c, Fig. 2,

Having thus fully described said improvement in street-railroad switches as of my invention, I claim 1. In combination with a tilting platform, as A,arock-shaft, as I, provided with a doublearmed lever, as N, and a rocker-arm, as H, a rocker-arm, as G, said rocker-arms articulated together by a circular socket-joint, and a connecting-rod, as E, articulated to a vibrating tongue, as D,whereby said ton gue is operated by the tilting of said platform, substantiall as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a railroad tongue-switch, in combination with a tilting" platform, a shaft, as I, an arm, as H, a yoke, as G, and a connectiiig-rod articulated to a movable tongue and provided with a tui.-11-buckle, as 15, for the adjustment of said parts, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A railroad tongue-switch provided with a tilting platform for operating its tongue, and a covered compartment outside of said platform between the rails containing working mechz'rnism for operating said tongue, whereby access is obtained to the working parts through said com nn'tment, substan tially as and for the purposes set forth.

l. In a street-car switch, a movable tongue provided with a pivot, as (l, re-enforced by a collar, as p, substantiall as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a street-car switch, in combination with a movable tongue and a eonnecting-rod for operatingthe same, a yoke, as G, an arm, as H, and a rock-shaft, as I, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Witnesses: 

